Author feature and review: Wind is a Dance by Debra Kempf Shumaker, illustrated by Josée Bisaillion

A lyrical ode to the wind

My favorite kind of picture book is a poetic nonfiction that can combine beautiful poetry with facts. Releasing October 1, 2024, Wind is a Dance is another such title to add to your shelves.

Debra says she hopes readers are left with “a sense of wonder or awe about the wind” after reading.

Read on for my short review of the book, where you can preorder, and a peek at the author, Debra!

Short Review

Like I said above, I love combining poetry and nonfiction. Wind is a Dance is full of poetic devices like personification that is perfectly illustrated with equally whimsical pages by Josée. Additionally, there are fact boxes placed throughout explaining different types of wind and weather. My favorite spread is towards the end with the ballerinas-the movement is beautiful. What a great book to teach young readers while also entertaining.

About Debra Kempf Shumaker

Path to publication

I loved Water is Water by Miranda Paul and Laura Purdie Salas' "Can Be" series (A Leaf Can Be, Water Can Be, etc.) and I also love changes in the weather so in 2015 I decided to try something similar about the wind. I eventually wrote different stanzas or poems about various winds, using metaphors to describe them. Eventually I strung those poems together into a lyrical picture book. My first agent subbed it to a small editor list and it didn't sell. When I got a second agent in 2020, I shared the story with him and he loved it, subbed it and in February 2021 I had an offer!

Fun facts

And finally, the best part…

I hope you consider putting Debra’s fabulous picture book on your TBR and maybe even preorder! If you can’t order a copy, there are other ways to support authors:

• Request your local library to purchase it

• Borrow from the library

• Review on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else you shop for books

• Follow the author and illustrator on social media

• Share interviews such as this one and other posts featuring the book and authors on your social media